Selma, Alabama
Selma is a city in and the county seat of Dallas County, Alabama. The population of the city is 20,756, making it the third-biggest city in the state's Black Belt region. The city is best known for the 1960s Selma Voting Rights Movement and the Selma to Montgomery marches, beginning with "Bloody Sunday" in March 1965 and ending with 25,000 people entering Montgomery at the end of the last march to press for voting rights. This activism generated national attention to social justice and that summer, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed by Congress to authorize federal oversight and enforcement of constitutional rights of all citizens. It had been a trading center and market town during the years of King Cotton in the South. It was also an important armaments manufacturing and iron shipbuilding center during the Civil War, surrounded by miles of earthen fortifications. Nowadays, however, the city and area around it are struggling economically as as agriculture does not provide enough jobs these days. The city also used to be home to Craig Air Force Base, which closed in 1977, and was a good role in the city's sad downfall. Demographics As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the racial composition of the city is: 80.86% Black or African American (16,783) 17.21% White (3,572) 1.93% Other (401) 40.2% (8,343) of Selma residents live below the poverty line. Theft rate statistics There's no other way to say it - Selma's theft and murder rates, have to be, without a doubt, the most ridiculously high and out-of-control of any city in Alabama, and among cities of its size. It has a very bad reputation among trainers these days, almost as much as parts of Montgomery or Birmingham, and many are grateful that the city doesn't have a gym, so it's an easier city to avoid if possible. It has the third-highest Pokemon theft rate in Alabama, and the second-highest murder rate, ahead of Montgomery. The city reported 80 Pokemon thefts in 2018, and averages 20.53 murders a year. Unfortunately, Pokemon aren't all that safe in public either, as attempted thefts, ball snatchings, Pokenappings and/or murders walking in parking lots aren't exactly unheard of, although most of them occur at night. Especially at Selma Mall. Pokemon See the Dallas County page for more info. Fun facts * Industries in Selma include International Paper, Bush Hog (agricultural equipment), Plantation Patterns, American Apparel, and Peerless Pump Company (LaBour), Renasol, and Hyundai. Civil rights tourism has become a new source of business as well, but as said above, it's not really enough. * Selma is historically pretty lucky when it comes to tornadoes, having not been hit by a major tornado since 1883. Any tornadoes that have hit the city in recent times have been weak. It did, however, suffer major damage in the Alabama Floods of 1992. * The community of Selmont-West Selmont, located across the Alabama River and just a trip over the Edmund Pettus Bridge away on U.S. 80 Business, is home to the National Voting Rights Museum and Institute. * Selma is the birthplace of the founder of Jefferson Star Records, Allan Barron. * Selma, despite its problems, does offer amenities. The city has a mall (which admittedly has very few stores these days), a Walmart, a Nintendo World, a lot of fast food but no chain restaurants, dollar stores, some hotels, a couple of other shopping centers, a Tractor Supply Co., a few local restaurants and stores, auto parts places, a Winn-Dixie, a huge basketball court complex, Craig Air Field (formerly the air force base), Selma University, George Corley Wallace State Community College, and a few other places. * Selma was the headquarters of Team Rocket's Alabama division, before it moved to Birmingham in 1989. * The main campus of the Black Belt Battle Academy is located in Selma. Category:Alabama Cities